1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an exposure meter for cameras.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An exposure meter having the ability to display in a finder, a preset stop value or a shutter speed and employing a so-called point-follower, is known. In this construction, a pointer for an ammeter indicates, with the aid of an output from a photometering circuit, a shutter speed or a stop value which is a proper exposure value corresponding to the brightness of an external field, the sensitivity of the film etc., and a movable pointer to be moved in interlocking relationship with a stop ring of a camera lens or shutter dial are provided on the same scale plate.
It has also been known to provide a plurality of indicating elements, such as illuminating diodes instead of the ammeter, for an exposure meter, and in accordance with an output of a photometering circuit, one or two of the illuminating elements are turned on so as to indicate the state of photometry.
The two types of exposure meter mentioned above indicate in a finder a present stop value or shutter speed with a pointer-follow system using the indicating elements. Thus:
1. An exposure meter in which a plurality of indicating elements are arranged in a row facing the scale plate in the finder, some of the elements being selectively turned on in accordance with the output of the photometering circuit to indicate a stop value or shutter speed which represents a proper exposure, and in the vicinity thereof a pointer is provided which is movable in interlocking relationship with a stop ring of a lens or shutter dial of the camera; and
2. An exposure meter in which a plurality of indicating elements are arranged in two rows facing the scale plate in the finder, one row of which will be selectively turned on in accordance with the output of the photometering circuit so as to indicate a stop value or shutter speed which represents a proper exposure value, and the other row will be selectively turned on in interlocking relationship with the stop ring of the lens or shutter dial of the camera.
So far as the first type of exposure meter is concerned, it requires a complex interlocking mechanism to move the pointer in interlocking relationship with the stop ring or the shutter dial. In the second type of exposure meter, the interlock mechanism may be a simple switch, but the number of indicating element is very large resulting in high cost and lack of space economy.